Northern Exchange: Raiders of the Lost Architecture

The Story of Seaview Hostel

by Ben Webb

Current name of building: South Australian Department of Agriculture Northern Region Headquarters.

Where is it: Corner of Tassie and Marryatt Street.

According to past residents the building used to have a cellar and bank vault below ground level, which would sometimes flood at high tide, and it has now been filled in and is used as a storeroom.

Apparently the ceiling creaks at odd times.

There are two balconies, one on the front of the building above the entry hall, the other along the entire back of the building. Half of the rear balcony is now taken up by air conditioning but the front balcony and windows have views of the gulf.

The staircase is quite narrow, not wide enough for two people, but is a solid beautiful old winding staircase with turning banisters.

The building still has its original marble fireplaces. Some of the lamps and ceiling roses are also original but others had to be replaced with replicas due to their damaged or decaying state.

The chequered Victorian floor is a replica, the original was afflicted by salt damp and was removed during rennovations.

The architect who designed it was Edmund William Wright (Wright & Reed). Other similar buildings designed by Wright include Brougham Place Uniting Church (Formerly Brougham Place Congregational Church), Adelaide Town Hall, Adelaide Post Office and Edmund Wright House (Which was also formerly a bank).

It was built in August-September 1881 using pecked ashlar sandstone, slate, and galvanised iron. It was built by local builder and timber merchant T. Sara & Co, overseen by T. Burgoyne. Cost: £4,500 (approximately AUS$775,000).

It was originally designed as a bank for the Bank of South Australia and opened on the 29th of December 1881. It became a branch of the Union Bank when it acquired the Bank of South Australia in 1893. Sold to Andrew Tennant on the 23 rd of February 1905, passed to John T. Love, Fredrick A. Tennant, John Tennant (whose previous home, the Princess Royal Station homestead, was also designed by Wright), then (when Fredrick died) owned by John T. Love, John Tennant, Richard G. Hawker and Andrew Tennant (from Stony Gap near Kooringa). Bought by Commonwealth Railways on 7th of March 1957 and renamed the Seaview Railway Hostel. Sold to the present owners on the 2nd of August 1979, renovated and opened in October 1982 as the South Australian Department of Agriculture Northern Region Headquarters.

Most interesting, unique, odd features: Italian-style architecture, Victorian mosaic floors in some areas.Many rooms currently display interesting historical photos!